2007: The best 50 albums

The Boss returned to his roots for his first album with the E Street Band for five years.

32 Finding Forever - Common

The Chicago rapper finally found a settled groove and built on the success of 2005's Be

33 Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain - Devendra Banhart

Nu-folk's beardy man-child expanded his range from gospel-soul to dub.

34 Segu Blue - Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba

The first time a quartet of ngoni players had been recorded and the results were an intoxicating concoction.

35 Graduation - Kanye West

Hip-hop's brightest star seemed in the midst of an existential crisis but still made a great album.

36 Volta - Bjork

The Icelandic avant-garde darling rediscovered her fun side.

37 Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford - Basquiat Strings

The quartet's jazz compositional methods and Rochford's percussion made a delightful marriage.

38 Grinderman - Grinderman

Hilarious, primeval blues-rock from Nick Cave's side project.

39 Infinity on High - Fall Out Boy

Mighty punk-pop with glossy topcoat.

40 Memory Almost Full - Paul McCartney

Return of the Mac... to the best bits of Wings.

41 The Evolution of Robin Thicke - Robin Thicke

Finally, Timberlake was challenged as the US's funkiest white man.

42 Overpowered - Roisin Murphy

The best grown-up dance album since Ray of Light.

43 Time on Earth - Crowded House

The Finn bros added a touch of melancholy to their pop.

44 Orchestra of Wolves - Gallows

Fiercesome debut from UK punks.

45 Lady's Bridge - Richard Hawley

Dark, brooding classic from Sheffield's Morrissey.

46 Stuck Between Stations - The Hold Steady

Literate US bar rock.

47 Take It With Me - Ilmiliekki Quartet

Tom Waits and the Chili Peppers reimagined as dreamy jazz.

48 Shotter's Nation - Babyshambles

Shockingly, Pete Doherty produced a tight LP.

49 Set the Mood - David Jordan

Fine hook-filled debut from British pop's great hope.

50 Blackout - Britney Spears

An album for which few had high hopes, Blackout was conclusive proof that some of the best music comes from artists on the brink of mental collapse. Ludicrously catchy lead single 'Gimme More' and the frantic electro-pop at the heart of Blackout proved an irresistible proposition. Forthcoming single 'Piece of Me' put the spotlight on Britney's role in the public eye, but the album was at its best when it centred on her real-life hobbies: having sex and dancing. Songs such as the frenetic 'Toy Soldier' and 'Hot as Ice' hit the mark, while 'Ooh Ooh Baby' was up there with 'Toxic'.

The extent of Britney's involvement in any of this was open to question, but then that has been the case since day one. If you valued sonic originality, lyrical dexterity, vocal innovation and total danceability over such non-essential concepts as authorship, then Blackout was almost flawless. Peter Robinson